Scottie Scheffler closes PGA Championship with 6-under 65

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler experienced an exhausting and tumultuous week at the PGA Championship. After signing his scorecard following Sunday’s final round, Scheffler nearly fell asleep from fatigue at the scorer’s table. This exhaustion was the culmination of a hectic few days that included his arrest outside Valhalla Golf Club on Friday morning and his subsequent release just over an hour before his tee time.

Despite the arrest, Scheffler managed to post an impressive 5-under 66 on Friday, keeping him in contention for the championship. However, he struggled on Saturday, shooting a 2-over 73, his worst score in 266 days. On Sunday, Scheffler rebounded with a 6-under 65, his best final round in a major championship, securing a tie for eighth place. This marked his 10th top-10 finish in his past 13 major starts.

Scheffler’s Sunday performance was highlighted by seven birdies, including five on the back nine, and only one bogey on the first hole. Reflecting on the week, the 27-year-old described it as “hectic” and admitted to feeling more tired than usual after a tournament.

“Overall, right now, how I’m feeling, I’m fairly tired, definitely a lot more tired than I have been finishing some other tournaments,” Scheffler said. “But I’m proud of today, how we went out there and fought. I got off to kind of a slow start and I was able to kind of get some momentum and post a good round. Yesterday, obviously, was quite frustrating and a bit of a different day, but overall proud of how I fought this week. Was fortunate to be out here competing, doing what I love.”

The gravity of Friday’s incident hit Scheffler later that night. After being booked at a downtown detention center and released, he managed to eat only a few bites of eggs and a piece of bacon before his round. Returning to his rental house that evening, he realized he hadn’t eaten dinner but wasn’t hungry, an unusual feeling for him.

“As somebody who’s a pretty big eater, that was a strange feeling,” Scheffler said. “So, obviously my body was a bit off with what had happened in the morning. But like I said, I did my best to leave that behind me and come out here and compete and do what I love, and the support I got from the fans was amazing.”

Scheffler planned to return home to Dallas to be with his wife, Meredith, and newborn son, Bennett. However, he faces unresolved issues in Louisville. Detective Bryan Gillis alleges that Scheffler’s SUV accelerated and dragged him when he tried to stop the vehicle, causing injuries to his wrist and knee. A Louisville Metro Police Department spokesman told ESPN that Gillis failed to activate his bodycam during the incident.

Scheffler described the incident as a “big misunderstanding” and a “chaotic situation.” An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m., though Scheffler was unsure if he needed to appear in court.

Scheffler was glad to have his regular caddie, Ted Scott, back on his bag on Sunday. Scott had missed the third round to attend his daughter’s high school graduation in Louisiana. Scott has been with Scheffler for each of his 10 PGA Tour victories.

“I think having Teddy out is always helpful,” Scheffler said. “I’ve talked a lot about how great he is for me out there on course and keeping me in a good head space. Obviously, yesterday was a bit of a different day, but it’s up to me to come out here and hit the shots and execute, and yesterday I wasn’t able to do that.”